Simplifying Morning and Evening Routines

Are you struggling with a morning routine and feeling hectic and out of control? These tips for a smooth morning will keep your family on track!

Read a piece of advice from my friend and teacher. Here’s what she has to say:

I’ve been there! My oldest daughter started high school on Monday. I remember so clearly her first week of kindergarten. I think I made multiple trips to the school every day that week because of something we had forgotten. We forgot homework, lunch, and PE clothes. I was the first of my friends to have kids and I wish someone had sat me down and told me that with just a few changes, my days would be much easier.

I read every parenting magazine I could and pieced together helpful hints that we’ve stuck with over the years.

Simplifying Morning and Evening Routines

1. Backpacks on the bench – Before any electronic time, my kids must have all homework done, all papers signed, and their backpacked zipped and ready to go on our kitchen bench.

Simplifying Morning and Evening Routines - Preparing their backpacks ahead of time.

2. Lunch already made – Before bed, the kids must have their school lunch made and in the refrigerator. (Did I say I made their lunch? No. They make their lunch. It is one of the things we have decided as a family that they should be responsible for.)

3. Little ones sleep in their clothes – This one has been controversial among friends. Some little ones are very used to sleeping in pajamas every night. But, if you have a little one that likes to do fifteen outfit changes in the morning, this just may be a lifesaver. After about a week, they didn’t even notice that they were sleeping in daytime clothes. They would wake up, come to breakfast, and the outfit changes were a memory of the past.

4. Breakfast is simple – Each morning, I give the kids three choices – toast/bagel, cut up fruit, or cereal. That’s it. Nothing fancy, but enough so that I am sure that they aren’t going to be hungry before lunch. We have a nice, big breakfast on the weekends. Now, if you are the mom that can make perfect waffles with maple syrup before 6:30 am, then you rock! That is amazing. That is not me. So our breakfast is simple.

Leave a Reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d bloggers like this: